You're Everything To Me
by Katydid50
Summary: Grace is captured by Sidorio's blood thirsty crew. But all is not as it seems. Lorcan is willing to do anything is takes to get her back, even hire the help of a group of mercenary vampires. Contains Spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampirates. All these characters, ships, places, etc. belong to Justin Somper. Also, do _**not**_ read this if you haven't read Black Heart as this take place… sometime after Black Heart. This fanfiction contains spoilers.

Chapter 1

Grace ran down the corridor, hoping, praying, that this was some sort of bad dream. She could hear him catching up. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't. She could feel her limbs start to grow weak as she turned the corner and raced up the stairs. She was so close. She could see her cabin door now. Her heart was pounding. She reached a hand forward and grasped the doorknob in her hand. She turned it and pushed open the door, racing into the room. She turned to close the door only to find she was no longer alone in the room.

She let go of the door handle and stepped back as Lorcan walked closer. He closed the door behind him and locked it, slipping the key into his pocket. She backed away, watching as his eyes become unfocused before turning into nothing but pits of fire. She gasped and stepped away from him. Then, he lunged. She was knocked to the ground and lay dazed. By the time she regained control, the front of her shirt had been torn away.

She tried to get up, only for Lorcan to grasp both of her wrists and pin them to the floor on either side of her head. She stared up at his face, looking for any trace of the man she had come to care for, to love. "Lorcan, please," she begged. "Don't do this."

She saw a twisted grin appear at his mouth. He didn't answer but leaned down. She felt a shiver run through her when she felt his cold lips press against her neck. "Lorcan," she gasped. She felt him place kiss along her skin as he made his way closer to her revealed thorax. She closed her eyes, feeling her body start trembling. He pressed his lips to her chest, just over her heart. Then he bit down. Her eyes snapped open and her body convulsed from the sudden pain.

She could feel the way her blood raced from her body. Tears streamed down her face. This wasn't him, this wasn't Lorcan, it couldn't be. He wouldn't do this to her. She could feel herself growing weaker and weaker as he fed. She closed her eyes again as she accepted to her fate.

"Grace! Grace!" Her eyes flew open to find sky blue eyes staring down at her in concern. She stared up at Lorcan, not sure if she was still dreaming. She looked down to see his hands around her upper arms. He must have shaken her awake. She looked back up at him, half expecting to see that fire in his eyes. She only saw worry.

"Are you ok?" he asked, releasing her arms and sitting down on the edge of the bed. She sat up, feeling her hands still trembling.

"Y-Yeah," she said. "Just a bad dream."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," she whispered.

He reached a hand forward, gently cradling her cheek against his palm. "You know you can always tell me, right?"

She nodded. She knew that. She trusted him above anyone else. She laid a hand over his on her cheek. Already, the dream was fading from her mind. She smiled warmly and said, "I love you."

He smiled back at her. "I love you too." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. These lips weren't cold. Cool yes, but not cold. This was Lorcan, _her_ Lorcan.

XXX

Grace opened her eyes. She was in her room, she could see that, but she wasn't alone. She slowly raised her head… off Lorcan's chest. She blinked and realized she was tucked into his side, one of his arms wrapped around her. She looked down at his hand on her waist and blushed before looking up at his impossibly gorgeous face. She reached a hand forward and brushed a lock of black hair from his face. He turned his head towards her but did not awaken, the hair falling back over his face. She smiled and rested her head back on his chest. She was wide awake but did not feel ready to get up.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there, listening to the quiet sound of Lorcan's breathing, but she finally felt him stir. Glancing over at the port hole, she guessed it was just before dusk. She moved her gaze back to him and saw that he wasn't, in fact, waking up, just moving into another realm of sleep. She leaned up and placed a tender kiss on his jaw.

Finally, she carefully maneuvered out of his grasp, climbing off the bed. She glanced at him to make sure he was still fast asleep before quickly changing out of her night gown and into her day clothes, or rather her night clothes. She slipped out of the room after another glance at Lorcan, stepping out into the hallway. She closed the door behind her, careful not to let much light seep into the room.

She walked out onto the deck, raising her face to the wind. She breathed in deeply the smell of the ocean. As she walked further onto the deck, she saw that it was mere minutes until dusk. She walked over to the front of the ship, leaning over and spotting Darcy, still in her day form, made of wood and paint. But it wouldn't be long now before her friend came to life.

And she was right. Soon, she heard the familiar crash and swish. Then a splash. She watched as Darcy's head popped up in the water. Grace smiled and waved. Darcy waved back at her and swam around a bit before joining Grace on the deck.

"Evening Grace," Darcy said, cheerful as usual.

"Good evening Darcy," Grace said, smiling.

Darcy looked her over before saying, "You're positively glowing tonight and no mistake. Could that have something to do with a certain lieutenant I wonder?"

Grace blushed deeply. "I don't believe that's any of your business Miss Flotsam."

Darcy grinned. "Very well Miss Tempest, but while I'm wondering what exactly has got you in such good spirits, I have chores to attend to."

Grace smiled and watched Darcy go off to ring the Nightfall Bell. She turned her gaze to the horizon. She thought she could see something on the horizon and squinted. Sure enough. There, in the distance, was another ship.


	2. Chapter 2

**These characters, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper. **

Johnny stared ahead, lost in his own thoughts. _Why can't I get her out of my head?_ he wondered. For the past months, whatever he had done, Grace Tempest had been ever-present in his mind. He closed his eyes and saw her face, he opened in his eyes and imagined her face. He growled irritably and got to his feet, pushing the chair away from himself angrily. This was ridiculous!

He suddenly jumped when the door suddenly swung open and Stukeley waltzed in, a bottle in each hand. Johnny made a face at the smell coming off his friend. "Hard liquor? You can't even drink," he pointed out. Or could he? He wasn't so sure, judging by how Stukeley stumbled around the cabin.

"Who says?" Stukeley asked. "For your information, I got these from the captain himself."

"Really?" Somehow, Johnny doubted that, unless Sidorio had suddenly gotten over his grief for the late Mrs. Lady Lola Lockwood Sidorio.

"Yes." It wasn't the half-drunken Stukeley who had spoken, but Sidorio himself as he walked into the cabin through the still open door way.

"Evening Captain," Johnny murmured, glancing back at Stukeley to make sure he wasn't in danger of tripping over anything.

"Evening Stetson," Sidorio said, also looking over at Stukeley who had, luckily, sat down.

Johnny moved his gaze back to Sidorio, an eyebrow raised in question. Sidorio caught the look and explained, "I'm feeling unusually generous tonight. And don't think I haven't noticed the way you boys have kept the crew together while I was… Anyway, to get rid of this generous feeling, I'm willing to give you anything your… well, you desire."

Both looked over at Stukeley who was draining more of one of the bottles. Well, that explained the alcohol. Johnny didn't say anything. What did he want? He searched his brain but knew it was futile. There was only one thing he wanted, and he could not get around it.

"Well?" Sidorio's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "What will it be Stetson?"

"Captain, there is only one thing I want and nothing else." He watched Sidorio look at him curiously. Perhaps it was the fact that Johnny seemed unusually serious, or maybe it was just the way he said it.

"And what is that?" Sidorio asked.

"Grace Tempest."


	3. Chapter 3

**These people, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.**

Grace watched as the ship came closer and closer. She tensed. Something wasn't right. She stepped back and turned to see the vampires making their way onto the deck. She noticed some of them spot her, but none approached her, except for one of course. Lorcan made his way through the crowd and walked over to her.

"Grace, what are you doing out here?" he asked.

She didn't reply so much but simply turned and pointed at the ship that was rapidly growing in appearance as it drew nearer. He must have sensed something was wrong too because he instantly tensed up. "Get inside," he said. His tone left no room for argument.

She glanced at him, then the ship, before making her way back to her cabin. She closed the door behind her. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

XXX

Lorcan watched as the ship pulled alongside _The Nocturne_. He felt his stomach lurch when he recognized several of the crew on the other ship, Sidorio among them. The crew of _The Nocturne_ all backed away as Sidorio and several of his crew jumped onto _The Nocturne_'s deck. He watched as Sidorio's gaze scanned the crowd. He thought he could see something in the giant's dark gaze. Regret? Was he regretting his decision to leave _The Nocturne_? Somehow, Lorcan doubted it. Did he know Grace was his daughter? Did he regret attacking the ship she was on? Who knew?

Suddenly, Sidorio let out a loud roar and his crew surged forward, weapons out and ready for battle. Before Lorcan even knew what happened, battle erupted on the deck. He unsheathed his sword and just barely managed to block an attack from one of the renegades.

XXX

Grace could hear a commotion coming from the deck and was so tempted to pull back the curtain over the porthole and take a look, but some instinct told her it wouldn't end well. She sat down on the bed, her heart pounding in her chest as she listened to the sounds from outside.

After several minutes, she couldn't take it anymore. She got to her feet and walked over to the porthole, drawing back the curtain. She let out a gasp at the sight before her. Several of the crew lay on the deck, blood oozing from their wounds. They didn't move. She spotted Sidorio among the crowd and realized immediately what was going on. Sidorio and his rebel crew had come to get rid of them once and for all. But where was the Captain? Was he fighting? She couldn't see him.

She suddenly let out a scream and jumped back as a hand smashed through the glass of the porthole, trying to grab her. She couldn't see who it was through the now ruined glass but she didn't need to, she didn't care. She raced for the door only to skid to a halt, watching it open. She felt her stomach flip over as none other than Johnny walked into the cabin.

"Hey there little lady." She stepped back as he walked closer. She remembered the last time they had seen each other. It had been at Sanctuary, in the rec room, just before he had left to join Sidorio. Now, he was back, but what for?

"What do you want?" she asked, trying to hide her fear but failing miserably.

He grinned darkly and stepped closer. "You," he said.

Grace's eyes widened. _Her?! _What did he want with her? Before she could ask, she heard more footsteps. She looked to see Lorcan in the doorway, several wounds bleeding along his body. He looked furious, terrifying. She wasn't sure what she was more scared of: Lorcan's wrath or Johnny. She watched as Johnny suddenly turned and jumped to the side just in time to dodge Lorcan's sword.

Johnny didn't attack Lorcan back, oh no. He went straight for Grace. Before she could run, he had grabbed one of her arms and had a knife at her throat. She gasped at the feel of cold steel against her skin. She could see fear mixing with rage in Lorcan's blue eyes. He was scared for her.

"Now, I suggest you move away from the door unless you want her headless," Johnny said to Lorcan.

She wanted to tell him to not listen, that Johnny wouldn't dare hurt her, but he was a different Johnny now. She never would have thought he would hold a knife to her throat. She didn't know what he would and wouldn't do, and neither did Lorcan. She could see her was struggling to come to a decision. Finally, the Irishman stepped aside, but she could see it utterly killed him to do so.

She stumbled as Johnny suddenly pushed her forward. She cast a glance at Lorcan before being forced out the door by Johnny. Johnny brought her around the edge of the deck, avoiding the fighting. She was brought to a halt and shot a spiteful look at Johnny, but he didn't even notice.

"Captain!" he called. She watched as Sidorio glanced over before letting out a loud whistle. As quickly as the fighting began, it ended. Sidorio's crew broke away from their opponents and moved back to their own ship. Johnny pulled the knife away from Grace's neck and released her arm but, before she could get away, he picked her up. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling.

She let out a squeak and shut her tightly as he jumped off the deck of _The Nocturne_ and didn't open her eyes again until she heard the dull thud as his feet landed on wood once more. She looked around before looking up at Johnny. She suddenly released his neck and pushed herself away from him, falling from his grasp and landing on her back on the deck. She sat up and jumped to her feet, backing away from the crew of Vampirates. She turned to see that The Nocturne was already shrinking into the distance.

Grace ran to the side rail but it was no use. She couldn't swim that far. And even if she could, she would have to escape Sidorio's crew first. She looked back at the vampires to see Johnny walking towards her. She turned and pressed back against the railing. She couldn't outrun him and, even if she could, where would she go?

She cast one more glance at the silhouette of _The Nocturne_ before she was led away, Johnny's grasp on her arm surprisingly gentle. What did they want with? Would they kill her or use her as some bartering tool? Or perhaps as blackmail. Well, whatever they were going to do to her, she could only hope that Lorcan and Darcy and Conner would be ok.


	4. Chapter 4

**These people, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.**

"What do you mean?! We can't just let her go!" Lorcan's blue eyes blazed with fury. "We have to go after her! Who knows what they'll do to her?!" He glared at the Captain, completely ignoring Darcy who busied herself with bandaging his wounds.

"Calm yourself, Lieutenant Furey," The Captain said, calm as usual despite the circumstances. "We will go after them but we must take the time to recuperate otherwise we set ourselves up for another loss." When he saw Lorcan still glaring at him, he added, "You're of no use to anyone in the condition you are."

Lorcan shrugged Darcy off and got to his feet. "We can't just sit here waiting for our wounds to heal! We have to do something _now_! Who knows what they're doing to her while we speak?!" He went to take a step towards the door, but his injured leg gave out and he tumbled to the floor. He landed with a grunt but didn't get up again. The Captain was right. He couldn't defend anyone in the state he was, not even himself let alone Grace.

Closing his eyes, Lorcan could see her perfectly. She was being dragged away from him by Johnny. He wanted nothing more than to tear him limb from limb but he knew he couldn't. They were long gone. _I'm sorry Grace. I'm so sorry._

XXX

Lorcan gazed down at Grace's blood-drained corpse, holding it tightly in his arms. This couldn't be happening. No, there must be some mistake. But there wasn't one, it was definitely Grace. He felt tears streaming down his face and did nothing to try and stop them, not even bothering to wipe them away.

He looked up from her body when cruel laughing rang in his ears. He saw Sidorio, Johnny and, presumably, this Jez character he had heard about. They were laughing, at him, at Grace, at his grief.

"Way to go Fuery," Johnny said, his face holding an evil grin. "The only reason she's dead is 'cause you didn't get to her fast enough."

"How pathetic," Jez commented, looking down at Lorcan in disgust.

"I feel bad for him," Sidorio told them. "Him, all alone in the world once again. …I say we should reunite them."

Then, the three lunged.

Lorcan's eyes snapped open and he jolted upright. He looked around and relaxed when he realized he was in Grace's cabin. He looked down to see that, where Grace's body had lain in his arms, was her pillow. He reached a hand up when he felt something wet making its way down his skin and wasn't surprised that his crying had come out in the waking world as well. He wiped the tears away and let go of the pillow.

He got to his feet, instantly regretting it as pain shot through him. He fell back onto the bed, breathing through the pain. He glanced over at the window to see faint light making its way through the cracks in the curtain. It was probably dusk. Sighing, he laid back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't help wondering. Where was she? Was she ok? He wouldn't even wonder if she was safe. Of course she wasn't. She was in the clutches of a renegade crew of vampirates. He knew that Grace and Johnny had been friends back at Sanctuary. He could only hope that Johnny would remember that and keep her alive at least, though he didn't put much faith in the cowboy.


	5. Chapter 5

**These people, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.**

Grace groaned quietly before opening her eyes. She instantly was thrown back into reality. She was lying on a bed in a cabin she'd never seen before… and her hands were tied behind her back, her feet also bound. She sat up and looked around. She wasn't alone. She spotted Johnny sitting in a chair on the other side of the small room, just watching her.

"Mornin' little lady," he said, looking like the old Johnny, not the one who had followed Sidorio from Sanctuary.

She watched him wearily. He may seem like the old Johnny, but he wasn't. He was a member of Sidorio's crew. "What do you want with me?" Finally, she asked the question that had been nagging her.

A smile appeared on Johnny's face, but it was a dark smile. He got up from his seat and walked over to the bedside. She scooted back, keeping as much distance between him and herself as possible. But, perhaps in response to her moving away, he climbed onto the bed, on his hands and knees, crawling closer until he was less than a foot away. She pressed back against the wall, her pulse racing. She hoped he couldn't hear it.

"For some reason," Johnny told her. "Sidorio was in an unusually good mood last night. He thought me and Stukeley deserved a reward. Well, Stukeley wanted alcohol."

"And you wanted me." The words escaped from her mouth before she could stop herself. "But why me?"

He suddenly leaned forward, their faces only inches away. "Why can't I get you out of my head?"

"W-What?" Grace wasn't sure whether to be freaked out or flattered. If he couldn't stop thinking about her, what did that mean for her? Did he simply want answers, or did he want something more? Was he just trying to scare her or did he honestly think about her all the time? Her head ached with all the possibilities. "What are you going to do to me?" Might as well get the worst out of the way.

For a moment, Johnny's expression turned thoughtful. Did he truly not know? Or was he trying to prolong her suffering? Before he could answer, there was a knocking at the door. "Johnny, the Captain wants to see us in his cabin." It took Grace a moment to place the voice as Jez Stukeley's.

She moved her gaze from the door to Johnny who looked annoyed at the interruption. He caught her watching him and smiled. He leaned forward. She closed her eyes tightly, feeling his cold lips brush the skin of her cheek. A shiver raced up her spine. "I'll be right back," he whispered. "Don't go nowhere." Then he pulled back.

Grace opened her eyes and watched as he climbed off the bed and left the room. She saw him close the door and heard the crunch of a key in the lock. Great. This was just like her first week on _The Nocturne_, only with the constant threat of being drained of her blood. She sat like that for a few minutes and, when Johnny did not return, she moved away from the wall, lying down once again. This was no an easy feat with her hands and feet bound.

She sighed quietly, staring up at the ceiling. The cabin itself was surprisingly nice, not cluttered with junk or falling apart. She remembered her short time aboard _The_ _Diablo_ and her cabin aboard _The_ _Nocturne_. The room she was currently in was not as fancy as _The Nocturne_ but nowhere near as basic as _The Diablo_. Looking around, she noticed that it was not as small as she had originally thought, most of it being shrouded in shadows. She thought she was a desk and chair in the back of the room but she could not be sure.

Despite her situation, she felt her eyelids growing heavy once again. Her stomach growled in protest, forcing her more awake. She doubted, this being a ship of vampires, that they would have any food on board. She rolled onto her side, closing her eyes. Even though the pain in her abdomen reminded her that her stomach was empty, she found the dull fog of sleep comforting.

When she opened her eyes again, light was making its way through the small cracks in the bottom of the cabin door, telling her it was day. The sound of deep breathing caught her attention. She turned her head to see Johnny sitting in the chair from earlier, his head rolled forward, face covered by the rim of his Stetson. She realized at once that he was fast asleep.

Sitting up, she felt her stomach ache again. She tried to ignore it and looked around for anything sharp she could use to cut the ropes with. She then froze. She spotted a tray sitting on the table beside the bed. The tray held a few pieces of bread, an apple and something else that looked a bit like a pear but had an orange colored peeling.

She glanced over at Johnny's sleeping form before leaning forward. She managed to eat the bread, even though it was a bit difficult not being able to use her hands. She tried to take a bite out of the apple, but it just rolled away from her. She frowned and tried again. It rolled out of her reached. She gave up and moved further back onto the bed so she didn't risk falling off.

Grace laid back down on the bed. She knew she should be trying to escape, but what was the use? Even if she somehow managed to free her hands and feet and somehow escape from this cabin, there was still the problem of not being able to get off the ship. She could very well escape from the renegade crew only to drown out at sea. Though, really, how much better was death at the hands of a rebel vampirate than drowning? Still, she'd rather take her chances with Sidorio and his crew. So far, Johnny had shown no sign that he wanted to kill her for her blood, but then what _did_ he want? Ok, he had said he wanted her, but what for? She seemed to be asking herself the same questions over and over again and never got an answer.


	6. Chapter 6

**These people, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.**

Lorcan stared out across the ocean, his eyes searching for any sign of the ship and crew that took Grace away from him. His clenched fists at his sides, he couldn't help the anger within him. Why weren't they pursuing the ship?! He knew the Captain was in a delicate condition but Grace could very well be dead by the time they got there if they didn't hurry! She could already be dead!

_No,_ he thought. Don't think like that. _She's alive. She_ is _alive!_

"Lorcan?" He looked his shoulder at the sound of a soft voice. Darcy was looking at him with worried eyes. He looked away. He knew Darcy was concerned for, not only Grace, but also for him.

"I'm fine, Darcy," he said, gazing back out at the dark ocean.

"No, you're not," he heard her say. "You have to understand, the Captain cannot push himself as much as he used to. He must build up his strength again."

He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off. "_But_, that doesn't mean he's doing nothing. He has contacted Mosh Zu who is doing all he can to find Grace."

Lorcan just scoffed. Despite his respect for Mosh Zu, and his gratitude to the Vampirates guru for resorting his sight, he felt it was going to take more than some magical voodoo to rescue Grace.

He let out a grunt as something came into sharp contact with the back of his head. He turned and rubbed the back of his head, looking at Darcy who was glaring at him. "I know you're worried about Grace but try to be respectful! If Mosh Zu can find out where the ship is, then we can go there and rescue her!"

He knew she was right, of course she was, but he couldn't just sit around and do nothing while Grace was out there, somewhere, possibly being tortured by the most vicious of vampirates. "I can't just sit back and do nothing," he told her. "I have to know she's ok or do something about it if she's not."

Lorcan stared down at Darcy as she cradled his face in both of her small hands. "I know you're worried about her," she said. "We all are. But you must be patient. We _will_ find her and everything is going to be ok."

"You can't know that."

"Damn it Lorcan! I'm trying supportive!" she snapped.

Lorcan's eyes narrowed and he pulled himself free from her grasp, storming off.

"Where are you going?!" he heard Darcy call after him.

He didn't respond. He needed to get away from this all. He needed peace and quiet. He needed Grace. So, he headed down the corridor to her cabin. Pushing the door open, he walked in, closing and locking the door behind him. At once, he felt overwhelmed. Leaning back against the door, he slid down to the floor, one of his hands covering his eyes as he started crying, though he tried not to. Crying wasn't going to help the situation and it certainly wasn't going to bring Grace back.

"Lieutenant Furey."

"Go away," he rasped in response to the Captain's eerie whisper. He knew better than to disrespect the Captain, but was in no mood to play polite.

"Lieutenant Furey." Lorcan lowered the hand from his face but didn't respond. "Lieutenant!"

He scrambled to his feet and unlocking the door, tearing it open. "What?!"

The Captain stood before him, looking surprisingly calm considering the situation, which only enraged Lorcan even further.

"Lieutenant, I am aware of your wish to help Grace and I have come to the realization that we are going to need… outside help."

The Captain's words calmed Lorcan's anger, replacing it with confusion and curiosity. "Outside help?"

"Yes. I have… allies, I suppose you would say. Simply put, they owe me a favor."

Lorcan looked at the Captain suspiciously. "A favor? I'm pretty sure this goes beyond a simple favor," he said.

"Quite right, but it is a big favor they owe me and I have no doubt that they will help," the Captain told him.

"Right, so, where do I fit into this?" Lorcan asked.

"You are going to deliver the message to them and bring them back."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

Lorcan couldn't help feeling skeptical. "What if they don't want to come?" he asked.

The Captain smiled and replied, "Oh, they'll come, don't you worry about that, Lieutenant. They'll come."


	7. Chapter 7

**These people, places, things, etc. belong to Justin Somper.**

Grace stared at Johnny who was still fast asleep. She had no idea how long she'd been lying there, just watching him, and no way to know as there was no clock in the cabin. She closed her eyes, sighing quietly. Despite not wanting to, she felt depressed. She was completely at Johnny's mercy and there was no way to get away.

She must have ended up falling asleep because when she awoke again, it was to the sound of someone moving about the cabin. Opening her eyes slowly, they flew open when she saw Mosh Zu standing there, looking down at her.

"Mosh Zu!" She immediately fell silent when he placed his index finger against his lips. She glanced over at Johnny who was still asleep, thankfully.

"How did you get in here?" she whispered.

"That's just it," he told her. "I'm not really here."

Frowning, she guessed, "Astral journey."

He nodded. "Grace, do you have any idea where the ship is? Or where it's going?"

She just shook her head. "No clue. I haven't been able to get out of this cabin since I arrived."

He opened his mouth to reply but didn't say anything. Grace's eyes widened as he started fading. "No," she whispered. "No, don't leave me here alone!" Tears started to form, then fall, at the thought of being alone with Johnny once more.

"Don't worry Grace," Mosh Zu said. "We'll find you, just hold on."

"Don't go!" she cried quietly as he faded completely.

She closed her eyes tightly, her bound hands covered her mouth. She was normally so calm and collected but she was scared out of her mind being there.

Her eyes snapped open once more at the sound of a creaking noise. Johnny was awoken and gotten to his feet. She moved back away from him as he walked over, looking down at her. A frown formed on his lips as he leaned down, his fingers gently brushing away her tears. She flinched away from his touch. He frowned even more and climbed onto the bed. She pressed against the wall, unable to go back any further, watching as he crawled over to her.

She closed her eyes tightly, wishing more than anything that when she opened them again that she would be in her cabin aboard the _Nocturne_. Then, she felt Johnny's cool lips press to her neck. She shied away but he just followed, kissing the skin of her neck. The sobs finally broke through despite her trying to fight them back.

She felt him pull back and slowly opened her eyes, looking up at him. He was looking right back down at her, though he didn't look angry or annoyed, but sad and concerned. "Don't cry," he murmured quietly, once again brushing away her tears. "Please stop crying."

She just watched him. She didn't try to get away from him, not that she could anyway. Even though she tried to stop crying, worried that he would get angry if she didn't, she couldn't. He frowned again and leaned down, resting his forehead against hers. She didn't dare move, just staring into his deep brown eyes.

"Will you stop crying if I untie your hands?" he whispered.

She just blinked. Was he serious? As if in response to her mental question, he reached over across the bed to where the tray lay, grabbing the knife. He brought it back and grasped the rope, slipping the blade beneath it and cutting up, the rope snapping within seconds.

She rubbed her wrists, sore from the chafing. She sniffled as she did so, feeling Johnny brush away her tears once more before placing a kiss to her forehead. She turned her head away from him. Even though he had freed her hands, he was still holding her captive. She wasn't about to forgive him for that.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, still not meeting his eyes.

Grace turned towards him only when she felt his nose nuzzle her cheek. "Answers," he whispered. "I want answers."

"Well, I haven't got them."

Johnny didn't say anything but just continued to nuzzle her, his nose against her skin sending a tingling sensation through every place he touched. Unconsciously, her eyes fluttered shut, a quiet sigh escaping from her parted lips. Her mouth closed as she felt him move down to nuzzling her neck. "Mmmm." As the sound escaped from her throat, she was forced back to reality. She gasped and pressed her hands flat against his chest, pushing him away.

Her heart was racing as she watched as he disappeared over the edge of the bed only to reappear when he got to his feet. Much to her relief, he didn't look angry. He looked, of all things, hurt.

"Don't look at me like that," she said in a moment of stubborn determination. "After everything you've done, to me and other people, are you really surprised I pushed you away? Beside, I'm with Lorcan."

Johnny's expression hardened. "Well, then you'd better get over it," he practically hissed. "Because you're never getting out of here with that attitude."

Even though she silently told herself he was lying, tears burned in her eyes as he turned and stormed from the cabin, slamming the door behind him. She sat up, listening intently. Her shoulders slumped when she heard the crunch of a key in the lock. Closing her eyes, tears streamed from them, pouring down her face. _He was lying,_ she told herself_. I'm going to get out of there. Lorcan and the Captain, they're going to find me and everything will be ok. It has to be._


	8. Chapter 8

**These people, places, things etc. (except for Gingi, Tuscona, the red-head twins and such) belong to Justin Somper.**

Lorcan stepped off the ship's gangplank and onto the rickety dock of Tuscona's (Tusk-on-a) harbor. He'd just stepped off the ship and already he hated this place. It smelled like rotten fish, mold and river mud. The dock looked ready to fall apart at any moment, along with many of the ships, if you could call them that, in the harbor itself. The town on the shore was shrouded in darkness, and not just because rain clouds were obscuring the moon. The place looked dark and hopeless, the kind of place thieves and murderers hung out.

As he turned from the town, he saw a thick layer of fog had already hidden _The Nocturne _from his sight. Well, there was no going back now. He turned back to the town and started making his way off the dock. He hadn't gone more than a few feet when a large chunk of wood fell out from underneath his feet, almost taking him with it. He jumped forward and spun around, looking down at the large hole in the dock, listening to the dull splash the wood made as it hit the water.

Shivering, he hurried along the dock, relaxing only when the bottom of his boots met solid ground. The town of Tuscona looked even worse up close. There was very little light and what there was streamed through the dirty or broken windows of bars. He hadn't thought anything could smell worse than rotten fish, mold and river mud, but apparently he was wrong.

He paused to pull out a piece of paper with the Captain's directions on it. Ok. First, he had to find a bar called Mariner's Paradise. Looking around, he somehow doubted that it lived up to its name. Pocketing the bit of paper, he continued on, doing his best to ignore the jingle of the coins in the small, leather bag strapped to his belt. The Captain had insisted on taking some money, but why? If these guys owed him a favor, why should he have to pay?

Pushing the question to the back of his mind, Lorcan continued on. He searched through the town, finally spotting the bar after twenty minutes of looking. He had been right. This place didn't look nearly as run-down as other bars, but it certainly didn't look like any five-star restaurant either. The windows were unbroken but stained gold –perhaps on purpose?- and the door wasn't broken or hanging off its hinges. The wood didn't seem to be falling apart and the sign, old as it seemed, was still clinging to the chains from which it hung above the door.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped up and pushed open the door, peering inside. His senses got assaulted by the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, some kind of mix of shanty and rock pounded his ears. But, for all its flaws, it was surprisingly dimly lit, which came as a relief to him.

Stepping into the bar, he closed the door behind him, trying not make a face at the stench. He walked along the shadows and took a seat in the corner. The bar was filled with tough looking men covered in tattoos, shirts missing their sleeves, and women who would have practically been naked if they had been wearing any less. Then again, there were always exceptions. Some of the women looked like their male counterparts, only slimmer and slighter in size.

Some of the people were playing cards, poker most likely, while others played pool. He was so focused on his surroundings, he didn't even notice the skimpy clothed blond walk up to him. "Hey baby," she said in a voice far too innocent for her attire. "Lookin' for a good time?" He turned his gaze to her and immediately felt embarrassed. She was wearing, by far, the smallest shirt he'd ever seen. It was a deep red that appeared to be just barely holding in her breasts and came up to just below them. She was also wearing a short denim skirt that seemed like it would ride up enough to reveal her undergarments if she so much as bent over too far. Her skin was pale, though not nearly as pale as his own. Her blond hair stopped at the middle of her back and her sharp ice blue eyes made him silently gulp.

"Uh, a-actually, I was looking for someone," he told her. Ok. What had the Captain said next? "Oh! A woman by the name of… um Bobbie Handerson?"

"When I'm on the job I go by Gingi." Oh great. Just his luck. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, uh, Gingi, I was … I was…" Lorcan averted his gaze as she leaned forward expectantly, giving him even more of a view than he'd already had, if that was possible. He cleared his throat and dug the paper from his pocket. _Mariner's Paradise, Bobbie Handerson, Under-room._ Under-room? "Um, I guess I'm looking for… an under-room? Or a place called Under-room?

Gingi tilted her head, looking at him curiously. "Under-room? Yeah, I know where that place is," she said, stepping closer.

He faked a smile and scooted back only to a hit a wall while Miss "Gingi" kept prowling closer. "Really? Uh, great. Would you mind giving me directions?" he asked quickly.

She smiled and slid her arms over his shoulders. His eyes widened as she slid onto his lap. His breath hitched as one of her arms slid around both of his shoulders, her free hand sliding down to his chest. "Depends," she said as she unbuttoned the middle button of his shirt.

"Depends on what?" he asked, praying to God that she wouldn't notice how cold his body was.

She slid her free hand into his shirt, her warm hand sliding over his stone cold chest. A quiet gasp escaped from him. She must have leaned forward because when she spoke again, it was in a whisper, and her lips brushed against his ear with every word. "Depends on if you tip well enough."

That was more than enough for him. He shot out of the seat with such a speed that Gingi fell directly into the seat he had previously occupied.

"Thank you Miss Handerson," he said, his breath shaking as he rebuttoned his shirt.

Before she could say anything, he turned and bolted out the door. He only started to slow down after he was a few blocks away. He slowed to a halt, resting a hand against the wall of the building beside him, taking a minute to catch his breath. _Well, that was a waste of time,_ he thought. _Now what?_

After he caught his breath, he straightened up. Now what was he going to do? He hadn't gotten directions from Gingi so now he'd have to talk to another completely random stranger in a dump of a town. Preferably not a stripper this time. But, after searching for a while, he managed to find someone that was willing to give him directions. As he talked to the suspicious looking person in the bar doorway, he felt a slight jerk as his belt.

Looking down, he saw a young red-headed boy who couldn't have been more then eleven. He was holding a knife and… "Hey!" The boy took off with his money, Lorcan chasing after him. The boy was fast, he'd give him that. But _he_ was faster. Just as he was about to grab the boy, the child threw the bag of money to another person Lorcan hadn't noticed before. The other was the boy's mirror image. Twins. He swerved and went after the other boy who took off. The boys kept tossing the money back and forth, getting further and further from Lorcan with each toss until they were out of sight.

The boys nowhere to be seen, Lorcan stopped running, breathing heavily. Great, just great. He was alone in a pathetic excuse of a town with no money and no directions. But, with no actual hope of succeeding in getting his money back, he slowly followed where he had last seen the two boys.

The town had fallen strangely silent over the past few minutes so the only sound to be heard was that of his own footsteps and the sound of water dripping somewhere. Before long, after several minutes and many turns, he heard the sound of hushed voices. Peering around a corner, he spotted the two boys, crouched over small piles of his gold coins. Though, before he could do anything else, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, then nothing.

**Author's Note: I hope you loved reading this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Anyway, I've been away for a week so I haven't been able to writing the next chapter. Hopefully, I will have it up soon.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Johnny!" Johnny raised his head, pulling out of the kiss when he heard Stukeley's voice. "The Captain wishes to speak to us before we reach land." He let out an annoyed hiss and climbed off the bed, and Grace, who didn't move. He stalked out of the cabin, slamming the door shut behind him. He made sure to lock it. He didn't want his little lady friend getting out, now did he?

"What does he wanted to talk to us about?" Johnny asked as he accompanied Stukeley towards Sidorio's cabin.

Stukeley just shrugged.

It didn't take them long to reach the cabin, only a few minutes. Johnny knocked on the door. "Captain?"

"Enter." Johnny glanced at Stukeley who just shrugged. The two walked in. Sidorio was sitting at a table with a large map draped over it. The two lieutenants walked over, the door falling shut behind them.

"I assume the crew are ready for feasting?" Johnny felt a jolt of panic. How had he forgotten that they were feasting that night?

"Yes Captain," Stukeley answered.

Johnny relaxed at his friend's reply. He really was lucky to have Stukeley to cover his back.

"Good." Sidorio got to his feet.

Stukeley frowned then said, "Captain, they're have been rumors flying around that the pirates, the ones that killed the late Lady Lockwood Sidorio, are coming after you as well. The crew are becoming anxious. I think it would be best if you address them, calm the fears."

Sidorio raised an eyebrow. "They're nothing but humans. What could they possibly do to us?"

Stukeley and Johnny looked at each other before looking back.

Sidorio's eyes narrowed into a dark glare. "We were caught off guard at the wedding. It will not happen again." Despite his harsh words, Johnny could catch a hint of sorrow in their captain's words.

"Make sure that the crew is ready. We land in half an hour." They were dismissed. Johnny and Stukeley turned to leave. "Oh, Stetson, I'd like to have a word with you, alone." The two lieutenants looked at each other again before Stukeley exited the cabin.

Johnny turned to face Sidorio. Even though he had leverage over the larger man, he couldn't help feeling somewhat intimidated. "What is it Captain?" he asked.

"How is she?"

Johnny blinked in surprise. He had expected some kind of threat or get questioned about what will buy his silence. "Um, she's fine," he said.

Sidorio's gaze suddenly narrowed and darkened. "You better treat her well," he snarled. "I don't care if you tell because, so help me, if you hurt her, I will kill you."

Johnny felt like his stomach had dropped into his feet. He knew his captain was being one-hundred percent serious in his threat. He nodded. "Anything else?"

"No." He took this as his dismissal and didn't stick around long enough to find out.

XXX

Grace jammed the knife in once more and turned it before the lock finally gave way. She had finally decided she would rather try her luck out on the open ocean than staying on the ship. She wasn't going to wait around for Johnny to return and continue.

She slowly turned the doorknob and peered out into the corridor. Luckily, it was empty. She slipped out and closed the door behind her before, as quickly as she could while still being quiet, walking down the hall. She looked around the corner. Trying to remember the path they'd taken when she'd originally come aboard, she searched for the deck.

Her footsteps seemed far too loud in the nearly silent corridors. But she didn't come across anyone in the fifteen minutes it took her to find the deck. She peered around the corner and looked around. The deck was completely empty. How odd. Where was everyone? She didn't think on it too long, slipping along the wall and sticking to the shadows. Her heart pounded in her ears, making her think it was a miracle it didn't alert the entire crew to her presence. Or maybe it did.

"What do we have here?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok guys, to make up for posting the last chapter real late, here's the next chapter sooner.**

Grace felt the breath catch in her throat as a dark voice sounded behind her. Before she could even turn around, she was slammed back against the wall she'd been creeping along. She opened her eyes to see a boy who didn't appear to be any older than twenty. He had short blond hair that didn't even reach his ears. His eyes, she guessed, would have been a bright blue if they hadn't been flaming pits.

Despite herself, a quiet gasp escaped from her. Her back already ached from hitting the wall. Her heart clenched in fear. Before she could make another noise, she felt a cold hand wrap around her throat. It tightened, taking away her ability to make any sort of noise. She grabbed his wrist and clawed at it but he paid no mind.

The man's other hand grabbed the collar of her shirt, easily tearing her shirt to reveal her thorax. Had this been a less possibly fatal situation, she would have blushed. But it wasn't. She tried kicking at him but it still didn't appear to bother him. He leaned down. She felt his cold lips against her skin a moment before a fiery pain ripped through her, his fangs breaking through her skin and breastplate.

Grace's vision blurred with tears that overflowed, spilling down her cheeks. She tried to make a sound, any sound, but nothing came out. After what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only a minute or so, she heard a voice that made her wonder if she should feel relieved or even more frightened.

"Hey! What the Hell do you think you're doing?!" Johnny stepped out of the shadows and stormed over as the vampirate pulled his fangs from her, making her chest ache even more. The vampire looked over at Johnny and just smirked.

"What does it look like?"

"Get your hands off her!" Johnny snarled, honest to God snarled.

"Why should I?" the vampirate asked, tightening his grip on Grace's throat.

She started clawing at him again, kicking out, but it didn't work. He kept his gaze locked on his lieutenant. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, spending all your time locked in your cabin," he said. "But I can bet it's got something to do with your own little blood supply here. Well, not anymo-."

Before the vampirate could even finish that sentence, Johnny had lunged at him, tackling him to the deck. Luckily, the vampirate released his grip on Grace before falling. Grace gripped her throat gingerly, slipping down the wall until she was sitting, and watched in horror as Johnny slammed his balled fist into the vampirate's stomach while the other male clawed as Johnny's throat.

The two males rolled over and over across the deck, both trying to get the upper hand on the other. In the end, Johnny had the vampirate pinned to the deck, holding the man's arms behind his back in a way that left him immobile. The blond-haired vampirate was saying something angrily in what sounded like Portuguese but Grace couldn't be sure. Johnny was glaring down at the vampirate, saying something low and darkly. She couldn't make out the words but she could tell from Johnny's expression that it was anything but friendly.

Johnny only released the other vampirate when he had stopped struggling and had fallen silent. The lieutenant got to his feet and walked a few steps away, looked back, then made his way over to Grace when it was clear the other vampirate had no intention of attacking him.

Grace watched with wide eyes as Johnny got down on one knee before her. His own throat was torn and blood trickled down from the gashes in little rivers, joining together to make a flow that stained the front of his shirt red. "Are you ok?" he asked gently, his voice ragged from the wound. She didn't respond and didn't react when he carefully took her hand in his own larger, rougher hand and moved it away from her neck. She couldn't tell how bad it was but she still didn't think she could talk.

When he appeared satisfied with his assessment of her neck wound, his gaze moved south. Finally, that blush did appear on her cheeks. She didn't dare look down but she could bet it wasn't pretty. It must have been still bleeding if the look in Johnny's eyes were any indication.

She flinched when he leaned forward, closing her eyes tightly. She wasn't normally one to shrink back and just take pain and she wasn't normally one to not fight back, but what was the point? There was no one to save her here, no one to save her from Johnny anyway, and she couldn't hope to be able to fight him off.

A shiver raced through Grace's body as she felt Johnny's cool, wet tongue run over the blood and bite on her chest. But, despite her previous ideas and fears, he didn't bite her. He just kept licking up the blood that trickled from the bite.

Hesitantly, she opened her eyes to be met by a headful of curly, brown hair. Her heart pounded in her chest and her blush returned full strength. Now that she was positive she wasn't in any immediate danger of Johnny biting her, she could take a moment to realize just how intimate their current… situation, for lack of a better word, really was.

After several minutes, and even more curious looks from the occasional passing crewmember, Johnny pulled back. She watched as he licked his lips before slipping his arms around her, picking her up bridal style and carrying her inside, away from curious, hungry and more than aggressive stares.

Neither said anything, not until they had reentered the room. Johnny set her down on the bed before returning to the door to close it. She watched as he tore the knife from the lock, tossing it to the ground beside the door. She flinched at the noise the now useless object made as it hit the wooden floor. She didn't know what Johnny planned to do to her but she could only guess it wasn't going to be pleasant.

He turned and walked back over to her. She shrunk back but he simply sat down beside her. He looked over at her. His eyes were glazed with pain and concern. "I'm so sorry," he rasped. He was… _apologizing_? But…

"It's not your fault." What was she doing?! She was comforting him! She should be trying to get him to let her go! But, looking at his expression, she felt a tug at her heart. True, he hadn't actually hurt her, yet, unless one counted earlier that night when he had kissed her against her will.

She sighed quietly. "Is your neck ok?" she asked.

"It will heal," he told her, tentatively touching his neck wound. "After all, it's not that deep. Garret is new to the vampire world so he's not very strong, at all."

Grace still wasn't convinced and Johnny must have picked up on it but he smiled, of all things. "Don't you worry about me, little lady," he said.

"But vampires heal slowly," she pointed out.

Johnny just shook his head, though slowly, looking like a child that knew a secret you didn't. "What do you think all the extra blood I take goes to?" She just stared at him blankly. "Oh, sure, it satiates my appetite but otherwise the extra is just… wasted. Now, it will go towards helping me heal."

Grace blinked. For a moment, she felt like she was back at Sanctuary and they were sitting in the game room, talking over a chess board about how his healing was going. Instead, they were sitting in a cabin on a ship of bloodthirsty vampirates talking about the horrible wound on his throat, which, by now, had stopped bleeding.

"How are you feeling?" She shook her head at Johnny's sudden question.

"Huh?"

Her cheeks burned bright red when she felt his cool touch brush against the red and slightly painful wound between her breasts. She looked down, leaning back away from his hand. She grabbed both sides of her torn shirt, holding it closed. Johnny's chocolate brown eyes shot up from her chest to her face. He looked down, then back up then away. His hand rested beside him on the bed.

Suddenly, as if it wasn't embarrassing enough as it was, he raised his hand to the front of his shirt and started unbuttoning it. She looked away, her blood seeming to be quite content to stay in her cheeks. When she finally looked back at him, he had finished unbuttoning his shirt and slipped it off his shoulders, revealing his muscular chest and arms. And, what's more, he offered it to her, though he wasn't looking at her, as if embarrassed.

Hesitantly, Grace took the shirt from him. She looked back at him to see that he still wasn't looking. So, she turned so her back was facing him. She glanced back over her shoulder. He was watching the floor. She quickly took her torn and useless shirt off, letting it fall to the floor before pulling on his shirt, buttoning it up. But, her hands were shaking. It took her several tries before she could even get the first one.

She froze when she saw dark-skinned hands move past her sides. She was suddenly aware of Johnny's presence just inches behind her. Even though her mind was racing, her hands were frozen. She watched as he buttoned the rest of the buttons, his face only an inch or two away from hers, Johnny resting his head on her shoulder so he could see what he was doing.

Turning her head, she found her nose was almost touching his temple. "Johnny." He raised his head, turning it towards her, his gaze boring down into hers. "This can't work-."

"I love you." The words died in her mind and throat. He _loved_ her? She just stared at him. She swallowed and took a deep breath.

"This can't work out, you and me," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm with Lorcan."

She could see the hope, the futile hope, die in his eyes. She'd hurt him, badly, but what did he expect? He knew she was with Lorcan. But, whether he was going to go off at her or not, she didn't know.

**Read and Review! Alsoif there are any vampirates fans out there that also enjoy reading fanfics in the normal Vampires section, please check out my (and a friend of mine's) fanfic 'I Belong To You'. The link for it is located on my profile. Thank you.**


	11. Chapter 11

Conner looked down at the map spread across Cheng Li's desk. Even as his captain spoke about their mission, he was only half listening. Part of his felt sick at the thought that they were going after his biological father. Another part of him was telling him that Sidorio deserved it and needed to be stopped. The rest of him was trying to pay attention.

"Conner!" Busted.

He blinked and his eyes focused on Cheng Li's annoyed face. "Uh, sorry," he said, embarrassed.

"As I was saying," she said. "He's been spotted here, here and here." She indicated the points on the map. "They're heading north, towards the peninsula. If we can beat him there, we have the element of surprise."

Conner watched as Jasmine and Jacoby both nodded. Jasmine Peacock. Beautiful. Dangerous. Amazing. And still Jacoby's. She hadn't had the heart to tell him yet about their trip to Lantao Island.

"Conner!" He shook his head. Uh oh. Cheng Li looked even more annoyed than lately. "Are you with this now?"

"Yes, sorry."

Cheng Li frowned. "Conner, this mission is incredibly dangerous. You could get killed if you aren't completely focused one-hundred percent."

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry."

"Hm. Well, you are dismissed. Jacoby, I would like a word with you."

Conner turned and exited Cheng Li's cabin with Jasmine right behind him. He started to walk away but his plan to escape failed.

"Conner, what's wrong?" He held back a grimace and looked back as Jasmine. She was looking at him with concern filling her sharp green eyes.

"Nothing, just distracted is all," he told her, hoping she wouldn't push it.

She walked up to him. "Conner, I know you. Come on, you can tell me anything."

"It's nothing," he said. "Just… missing Grace."

Her concern evaporated, replaced with sympathy. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close. He reluctantly hugged her back. Even though he was missing Grace, that wasn't why he was distracted. He was still trying to convince himself that going after Sidorio was the right thing to do.

When Jasmine finally released him, he stepped back. It was a good thing too because Jacoby was walking towards them looking like Cheng Li had just given him a good scolding. Conner didn't stick around to see what had happened. He just wanted to get out of there.

He quickly walked up to the deck. Ever since he had found out about his parentage, he felt distant from the rest of the crew. He was separating himself from them, he knew that, but he felt he had to. His vampire side was already starting to show. He was having trouble sleeping at night and he could barely stay awake, or focused, during the day. When he had held Jasmine, when she was so close he could smell her coconut-scent shampoo, it wasn't the shampoo that made his mouth water.

He gripped the guardrail and stared out over the ocean. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes. Even though there were others on the deck, they stuck to the other side. He didn't know why, but he was grateful for it nonetheless.

He took slow, deep breaths. He had been getting these sensations when the back of his throat had burned and he couldn't focus on anything except the smell of the people around him. Lately, they had been getting closer together and stronger. He could only guess that these… episodes were bloodlust. That very thought both made him feel sick to his stomach and appealed to some kind of primal instinct of his. _Yeah, thanks for that dad,_ he thought sarcastically.

"Conner Temptest! Conner Temptest!" Conner opened his eyes and turned his head to see Bo Yin running towards him, Sebastien balanced precariously on her shoulders.

His eyes widened and he put out his hands just in time to stop the girl, forcing her to a stop just before she hit him. "Whoa. Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked. No matter how what going on with him, Bo Yin, excitable and optimistic as she was, always managed to bring a smile to his face.

"To you! Captain Li told me to tell you that you will be at the lead of the group that is a part of the attack on the Vampirates!"

Conner sighed inwardly. Another person to thank for all the _great_ things going on in his life. He had always known he'd be part of the attack but at the _lead_? Was she trying to torture him?! Then again, not even a week ago he had gone on a rant about how committed he was to the mission and that Sidorio had to be stopped.

"Alright, thank you Bo Yin."

She nodded happily and hurried off the way she came. He looked back out to the ocean before letting out a small yawn. Maybe he could get in a nap since he had done all his chores, though one could hardly call them that. He looked around to make sure no one was looking for him before making his way below deck. He didn't come across anyone and he made it to his room without a fuss.

Closing the door behind him, he felt a wave of exhaustion sweep over him. He stumbled over to his bed and sat down on the edge. He kicked off his shoes before lying down. No more than a minute had passed before he was fast asleep. But, his dreams were anything but calm. He tossed and turned in his sleep. He kept seeing Sidorio whichever way he turned. He saw himself growing up and turning into his father. He woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of one of the crew members banging on his door telling him that supper would be served in half an hour and that Cheng Li needed to talk to him before then. Great. Just great.


	12. Chapter 12

When Lorcan regained consciousness, he was reluctant to open his eyes. His head ached from the blow. Yet, he opened his eyes anyway. He was met by completely darkness save for a few holes in the ceiling. Sitting up, he realized what little light there was allowed him to see that the floor he sat on was concrete and the large room, for it was incredibly large, was filled with wooden crates. He guessed it was some sort of a warehouse.

Even though he couldn't see anyone else, he could feel their gazes on him. Stiffly, he got to his feet and looked around. He could see outlines of people but he couldn't guess how many there were. He tried to hide the fear that was building in him. The way they just watched him, it was as if they were waiting for something.

He was so relieved when one of them stepped out into the light that he visibly relaxed. "Who are you? Where am I?" he asked.

She either didn't hear his question- not likely- or just ignored for she didn't answer. She walked right up to him, looking him up and down. She walked around him, Lorcan's gaze never leaving her. She resumed her place in front of him but stepped back.

As he stood before him, he took her in. She was a fierce looking woman. She had short blond hair that was swept to one side and piercing green eyes. She had a nose piercing and a tattoo of a werewolf and vampire locked in battle along the entire length of her left arm. She wore a dark red tank top, black jeans and black boots.

"Who are you?" he repeated, though he doubted she would answer. Which was why he was surprised when she did.

"My name is Kat Myers." Her voice was light but there was a tone of authority in it. She also had an accent but he just couldn't place it.

"Why am I here? And where is here?"

"You were looking for us," she told him. "We don't get many people searching us out and we want to know why you have come."

"Us?" He watched as she raised a hand. Then, many people stepped out of the darkness. There had to be at least twenty people. They ranged in apparent age from children right up to middle-aged adults. Among them he spotted the two red-haired twins. A large man with a twisted jaw walked up to Kat and stood beside, and slightly behind, her.

"You were asking around for the Under-room," she explained.

"Ok," he said slowly.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, her expression hardening. "Who sent you?"

"My Captain sent me," he told her. "I come from the_ Nocturne_."

Her eyes lit up with recognition when she heard the ship's name. "Ah, so what's the Captain gotten himself into now?"

Lorcan raised an eyebrow. _Now_? What was that supposed to mean? He pushed the thought away. "A… A member of our crew has been kidnapped by a crew of renegades. We need your help in getting her back."

"Her? I am thinking she is not merely a fellow crew member."

"No. She is my, ah, my girlfriend, I suppose."

"You suppose?" She looked skeptical.

Lorcan frowned. "Are you going to help or not?"

"Now, now, no need to be snippy," she said. "We will help you."

He watched as she suddenly turned and started walking away. He hurried after her. "Wait, how do you know the Captain?"

She didn't stop walking but did answer his question. "I used to travel on the Nocturne," she told him. "I stayed there a few years but realized it just wasn't for me. I couldn't stand being confined like that."

"Confined?"

"To the ship, to the donor."

"I prefer being able to come and go as I please, and being able to feed off who I want when I want."

Lorcan grimaced inwardly. I remembered that kind of life and couldn't understand how anyone would actually want to live it, though she _did_ make it sound appealing.

"But I left the ship on good terms with the Captain," she went on, apparently ignorant of his discomfort. "I told him that if he ever had need of my help, all he had to do was ask."

He slowly nodded. "So, what exactly is the Under-room?"

Kat looked back at him and smiled. "You know the saying 'The underground of the city'?"

He nodded.

"Well, this place is so small, its underground can't really be considered such. So, Under-room."

He smiled weakly. Something seemed catch her attention because she looked over his shoulder. He followed her gaze to see the twins walking towards them. One was holding the bag of coins they'd stolen from him.

The only different in the two boys was their attire. One was wearing a tan, sleeveless shirt with dark brown pants while the other wore a dark red t-shirt and black pants. The one wearing brown handed the bag back to Lorcan.

"We're sorry about stealing your money," he said.

"So, why did your girlfriend get kidnapped?" the other brother asked.

"Uh, well, one of the renegades wanted her," he explained.

"Why?"

"I don't know," Lorcan told them.

"So, they just rocked up one night and took her?"

"Well, they had met each other before," he explained.

"Oh. Are you sure she didn't go willingly?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I was there."

The two boys looked at each other, at Lorcan and back. "I don't know," the red-clad brother said. "I seems pretty weird to me."

"Why would she want to go with him? He nearly killed her before!"

"Don't know. Maybe your junk wasn't fulfillin' her needs."

"What? She was my girlfriend, not my lover!" Lorcan didn't like where this was going. "She's only fourteen!"

"Ew! You pervert!"

"Maybe that's why she left," the brown-wearing brother said.

"Huh?"

"Maybe she's ready but he's like 'No!'. So she jumps ship to get it on with a guy that will."

"Or maybe he said yes but his junk ain't fulfillin' her needs."

"No way! That's stupid!"

"No, _you're_ stupid!"

"No _you_ are!"

Lorcan looked from one brother to another and back. He just knew this was going to be a long night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Due to changed circumstances, chapters will take longer to come up. They will come up, mind you, but don't be surprised if I could weeks without putting up a chapter. Sorry guys.**

Lorcan passed restlessly up and down the corridor. He looked at the Captain's door when he passed it. He, Kat and her vampires had arrived back at the _Nocturne_ not long ago, and not long after Mosh Zu. Since then, the Captain, Mosh Zu and Kat had been in the Captain's cabin, probably discussing tactics about how to rescue Grace.

"Lorcan." He stopped his pacing and turned, watching as Darcy walked briskly towards him. She looked curious but also worried. "What's going on?" Of course. She probably would have just heard that he'd returned. Some of the crew had found out only a short time ago but it had spread like wild fire after that.

"The Captain and Mosh Zu are talking with the vampires I was sent to retrieve." Most of the Kat's group had been sticking to one side of the deck while the Vampirate crew watched them as if they'd never seen land-living vampires. "I haven't heard anything yet."

The two fell silent as the door to the cabin suddenly opened and Kat walked out, muttering under her breath. She didn't even acknowledge Lorcan and Darcy, just storming out towards the deck. May God have mercy on the soul that got in _her_ way.

Next, Mosh Zu stepped out, glancing in the direction Kat had gone before looking at the two. "I can see why she left the Nocturne," he said simply.

Lorcan raised an eyebrow.

"Her ideas are very… violent."

He wasn't surprised. She did seem like the kind to just go into battle and start swinging at anything and everything. "So, what _is_ the plan?"

"We will be sending four people onto the _Blood Captain_ to retrieve Grace. If they are captured as well, we will have no choice but to go into all out battle," Mosh Zu told them. He must have been upset about this, but his expression gave nothing away.

"Who are the four?" Lorcan asked, truly hoping he was one.

"You, Leon, Kat and a man from her crew called Bones."

Lorcan knew Leon, though not personally. He seemed like an alright guy. What he had trouble with was the fourth member of their group. Bones? He shivered just thinking about what kind of man he could be with a name like that.

"We set out tonight for the Blood Captain and should intercept it tomorrow night," Mosh Zu went on.

Lorcan and Darcy both nodded. There was no way around it then.

XXX

Lorcan stared up at the clear, dark sky. It looked like a black blanket dotted with snow. But, the darkness was fading and only a few of the crew remained outside their rooms. Kat's group was split among several cabins with three or four in a room. He didn't know if Kat was sharing a room or if she would find somewhere else to sleep, but he didn't care. All he cared about was resucing Grace.

"You really care about her, don't you?" He jumped and spun around to see Kat standing right behind him. She was watching him intently, either not noticing or not caring how much she had startled him.

He hesitated before nodding. "I do. I… I love her."

"Did you ever tell her?"

Lorcan frowned before looking away. "It's true what they say. You never know what you have until it's gone."

Kat stepped up beside him, leaning against the railing and looking out over the ocean. "She's a lucky girl then, to have someone that cares so strongly for her." He thought he could hear a bit of wistfulness in her voice but he didn't mention it.

"I guess."

"You guess, I know," she said. "I know she is one lucky girl and you are one lucky guy, Lorcan Fuery."

He looked over at her, confused. "How so?"

"To have someone to love."

She didn't say anymore, not that they really had the time for it. At that moment, Darcy sounded the nightfall bell. Kat quickly made her way inside and Lorcan followed, though more slowly. Did Kat ever love someone? Is that what she was trying to say? Or that she wished she had someone to love? Well, no matter what, he would worry about that after they got Grace back.

**Short chapter. I know. Sorry guys. I hope to have another chapter written and up soon but no promises. Til then.**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm baaaaaaaack!**

Conner stared out at the open ocean. Cheng Li had received news of the whereabouts of the Blood Captain and had briefed them shortly after. That had been hours ago Now, he looked out over the darkening, endless water. He had been awake the whole day, more or less, but he felt wide awake. He should have been exhausted but he wasn't. The hunger pangs had been getting stronger and stronger but the very thought of "sharing", as Grace had put it so many times, made him feel sick to his stomach.

At the feel of arms wrapping around him from behind, he was forced from his thoughts. Turning his head, he looked over his shoulder to be met by the sight of raven black hair and sharp green eyes.

"Hey," she said quietly.

"Hey," he replied, just as quietly.

"Are you ok?" Was it that obvious?

"Yeah. Why?"

"You just seem distant lately," she told him. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Yeah, just… worried about Grace," he said.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Just… a feeling." He hated lying to her but he couldn't possibly tell her the truth. He couldn't tell her what was truly wrong. He couldn't tell her that he was becoming a monster and that the person, no, the _thing_ they were going after was his father.

She smiled weakly and ran a hand up and down his back soothingly. Leaning up, she placed a kiss on his cheek. "It's going to be ok. I'm sure she's fine, wherever she is. She's resourceful, she's strong and smart. Plus she's got her friends looking out for her. I'm sure she's safe."

Even though he hadn't been truly concerned for Grace, he was less concerned for her than he had been. Jasmine was right. Grace was fine. _He_ wouldn't be once his vampire side really started to show itself, but his sister was safe.

But, even as they sailed through the dusk, he caught sight of something that made his breath catch in his throat. There was a ship up ahead, maybe five miles away. Even in the pale light and at such a distance, he recognized the ship.

XXX

Grace watched, her heart racing with anxiety, as Johnny stood by the window, his body rigid and his right index finger constantly tapping against his pant leg. It was obvious that she had hurt him, but she couldn't lie to him. There was no chance for anything between them. He was evil. Well, not necessarily evil but he wasn't good. He had said it himself. It wasn't that he couldn't be good, it was just that he was so much better at being bad.

"Why? What does he have that I don't?" His sudden voice made her jump, startled. She hadn't expected him to speak.

"It's not that," she told him. "You both have good things about you, but you're too different to compare, at least to compare _that_ way."

Johnny turned to face her, his brown eyes boring into her. She held his gaze for a moment before looking down at her hands which were folded and resting on her lap. She hadn't wanted to hurt him, even after all he'd done. He had done bad things, but he was good at heart.

She heard him swallow and looked up at him. He opened his mouth to say something but his words were drowned out by a loud commotion coming from the deck. They both looked over at the door a moment before it burst open. Sounds of battle assaulted Grace's senses. She could hear cannons going off and could hear battle cries.

The man that had just burst in had a large gash on his shoulder and was bleeding from a long cur across his forehead. "Johnny, we're under attack," he said, his eyes wide with fear. "Humans. The same ones that killed Lola Lockwood."

Looking back at Johnny, she saw his eyes narrow. He hurried over to the door, pushed the man out and left himself, closing the door behind him.

XXX

Lorcan watched in horror as battle broke out on the deck of the _Blood Captain_. No! Grace was on that ship! All their plans went out the window. The entire crew of the _Nocturne_ watched as all their planning and preparation became useless.

Kat appeared to be the only calm one among them. She stood next to Lorcan, eyes narrowed. "Guess we'll have to fight our way through," she said. How could she be so damn calm?! He looked over at her. She was watching the _Blood Captain_ but there was something in her eyes.

A loud bang caught Lorcan's attention and he looked back to the _Blood Captain_. He felt like he was going to throw up. The attacking crew was firing cannons at the _Blood Captain_. "We have to act now! Before Grace is blown to pieces!" His voice seemed pull those around him from their shocked daze.

In the next minute, the deck of the _Nocturne_ was a mass of action. The ship slid through the water on the other side of the _Blood Captain_ as the attacking crew. Parts of the large ship had caught fire and everywhere Lorcan looked, humans and Vampirates were locked in battle. He wished that he had practiced his sword fighting more lately, but there was no time for that. Grace needed him.

**Short, I know, but at least I did update… finally! I know, I know. My bad. I only plan to have two or three more chapters, just a warning. Read and review!**


	15. Chapter 15

The deck of the _Blood Captain_ was complete chaos. There were people fighting everywhere, most injured in some form or another. The going was tough for Lorcan as he slipped through the fighting. The moment he had stepped foot on the deck, he'd been attacked but he had managed to get away with only a cut on his forearm. The blood had soaked into his sleeve so most of the white cloth was stained red.

Moving off the deck and down the corridor, the noise level dropped significantly. Though, he could still hear movement. He quickened his pace, listening closely for anything that point to where Grace was being kept. As he turned the corner, he forced himself to stop only a second before he ran into someone with a lean build and auburn hair. "Connor!"

Connor's green eyes widened in shock. Lorcan! What was he doing here?! "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Grace."

"What?!"

At the sound of quickly approaching footsteps, Lorcan grabbed Connor by the arm and dragged him into the nearest open room, shutting the door behind him. Neither spoke until the footsteps faded away.

"Lorcan, what's going on?" Connor demanded. "Where's Grace?"

"Somewhere on the ship." Lorcan turned his sharp blue eyes to Connor. He could see the young male's muscles tense. "She was kidnapped by Sidorio's crew."

"Why?" What would Sidorio want with Grace? Did he decide Cheng Li's threat didn't matter anymore since he now had Grace? Then what was stopping him from coming after Connor?

"I don't know," Lorcan told him. "But we have to find Grace and get her back on the _Nocturne_ before anyone realizes we're here."

Connor nodded. After peering out of the room, both males hurried down the empty halls, searching for any sign of Grace. "Any idea where they'd keep her?"

"None."

"Wait. Did you hear that?"

"Here what?"

Connor slid around the corner, hearing the faint sound of … of… pacing? He walked up to a door and pressed his ear against it. Someone was pacing inside the room. He grasped the doorknob and slowly opened the door, looking in. Then, he swung the door open. "Grace!"

Grace jumped when she suddenly heard her brother's voice. Turning, she was caught up in Lorcan's arms. After taking a moment to figure out what was going on, she wrapped her arms around his neck. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, holding him tightly. Lorcan pressed his face into her hair, trying to convince himself that this wasn't a dream and that he really did have Grace in his arms. "Oh Grace, I'm so sorry," he murmured.

She just shook her head, eyes closed tightly. She clung to him like her life depended on it, only opening her eyes when the illusion of having their own little world was destroyed by the _ring_ of a sword being unsheathed. Releasing each other, both Lorcan and Grace turned to see Connor tightly gripping his rapier, facing Johnny who stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable. Grace felt her stomach flip over and fought the urge to hide behind Lorcan. Oh, if only she'd taken more sword fighting lessons during her short stay aboard the _Diablo_. But, then again, sword fighting lessons didn't do much good if one didn't have a sword.

"If three's a crowd then what's four?" Johnny's rage came out in his tone, and his eyes which blazed.

"We've come to get Grace," Lorcan told him, eyes narrowing in a glare. When Johnny tightened his grip on his sword, he added, "Please Johnny, you must realize she shouldn't be here. It's not safe for her."

Johnny blinked and looked away, his anger wavering. He frowned. Lorcan was right, though it killed him to admit it, even silently. The fresh bite mark on Grace's chest and her torn shirt just reinforced what he was saying. He didn't want to give Grace up but he couldn't bear the thought of her getting hurt, or even killed, because he forced her to stay.

After several long seconds of thought, he stepped back and aside. "Hurry," he said.

Hesitating, the three stepped past him and into the corridor. He watched them, her, intently. As they started down the corridor, he followed after them, but kept at a distance. Their hurried footsteps drummed against the wooden floors as they twisted and turned down the maze of corridors. As they turned one particular corner, they all skidded to a halt; Lorcan slammed into Connor and Grace found herself sandwiched between Lorcan and Johnny. Lorcan stared over Connor's head and Grace and Johnny looked to opposite sides to look past Lorcan.

The blond-haired Vampirate stood in the middle of the corridor, gripping a sword in both hands. He had a large cut on his forehead, blood trickled down the side of his face, just barely missing the eyes that _were_, in fact, blue. "Well, well. What do we have here?" His voice was even more terrifying than when he had caught Grace on the deck.

Lorcan stepped aside to stand beside Connor. Grace's heart raced as Johnny stepped beside, and slightly ahead, of her. She knew this Vampirate was outnumbered but something in her said this was going to be dangerous for the men protecting her.

Lorcan tightened his grip on the sword in his grip and, with Connor matching his steps, rushed forward, sword poised to strike. Both males lashed out, the blond raised both swords to block both blows. While they pulled back to strike again, the Vampirate crossed his arms then, as he uncrossed them, reached forward, his blades cutting through Lorcan's shirt over his collar bone and Connor across his left bicep.

The Vampirate lashed out again and again, forcing both Lorcan and Connor back further and further. Connor jumped back, just out of reach of a blow aimed at his throat. He turned and looked back at Johnny and Grace. "Get her out of here!"

Johnny didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed Grace's arm and took off, away from the three fighters. Grace ran after him but looked back at the two men that meant the world to her before they disappeared from view. She looked back ahead and ran beside Johnny. She had no choice but to trust him to get her out of there in one piece.

They saw no one as they made their way quickly through the maze. Within minutes, the faint sound of battle registered in her ears. They turned the corner and froze. Before them was the doorway onto the deck. Wounded bodies littered the deck, both human and Vampirate. She was pretty sure some of them were dead.

Johnny suddenly spun around and raised his sword in time to block a strike that would have severed his head from his neck. The blond Vampirate stood there, one blade locked with Johnny. He had blood soaking into his clothes from various gashes in his torso and legs. He pulled back his other hand and brought the second blade down on Johnny's arm. The man cried out and freed his sword from the blond's.

"Grace!" They were all momentarily distracted by Lorcan and Connor appearing around the corner, both having fresh wounds lacing their arms, their sleeves in shreds. While the blond was distracted, Johnny raised his sword and brought it down on one of his shoulders. The Vampirate cried out in pain and leapt out of Johnny's reach but the _vaquero_ went after him.

While the blond was busy with Johnny, Lorcan and Connor slipped past them. "Get out of here!" Johnny yelled, grasping one of the blond's wrists and twisting it. "Go!"

Lorcan grasped Grace's hand and rushed out to the side of the deck, Connor on her other side. The fighting was terrifyingly close but no one paid attention to them. The people on the deck of the _Nocturne_ were yelling at Lorcan and Grace to hurry up. "No!" The cry caught their attention and their turned to see the blond right behind them, swords raised and ready to come down for a killing strike. But he never got the chance.

One blow sent him flying, but the blow didn't come from Lorcan nor Grace nor Connor, not even Johnny. Sidorio watched as the blond Vampirate struggled to get up but failed miserably. He turned his attention to the shocked expressions of the three. "What are you waiting for? Go!"

Lorcan shook his head and wrapped an arm around Grace's waist, her instinctively locked her arms around his neck. The crew of the Nocturne threw a rope to them which was attached to the rigging above so they could swing over. Lorcan grabbed the rope. "Hold on," he murmured to Grace before they swung across. They landed among the crew who reached forward to steady them. The moment they weren't in danger of falling over, they were tackle-hugged by crying Darcy.

Johnny watched with Sidorio on the deck of the _Blood Captain_. She was safe on the _Nocturne_. They would look after her better than he ever could. The place where his heart been ached beyond words. But at least she was happy. He watched as he caught a glimpse of her. She was smiling. Turning her head, their eyes locked. She was smiling at him, but it was a sad smile. Then she was gone within the crowd as the _Nocturne_ made its escape into the night. They could never be together, but he knew they would see each other again. But, until then, he turned and leapt back into battle, defending his ship and his crew.

**Sorry guys, that's it. I know I promised at least two more chapters but I managed to get it into one. And that's it. The end. Hope you liked it. Read and review.**


End file.
